Stringing pianos



(No Model.)

' O. S. WEBER.

STRINGING PIANOS.

No. 536,111. Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onARLEs s. WEBER, OF sAN JosE, CALIFORNIA.

STRINGING PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,11 1, dated March 19, 1 895.

Application filed October 29, 1892. Serial No. 450,392. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringing Pianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to extend the vibrating surface of the sound-board in a piano without increasing the size of the instrument.

The invention consists of a sound board of approximately box form held in suspension on the musical strings and properly balanced by a set of tensional supports.

The invention further consists of a device, here called the saddle by means of which the bridge, and thereby the sound board is suspended on the musical strings. This device consists of a raised portion, more or less centrally located; and of lateral extensions proportionally flattened. The elevated portion, which later on will be referred to as the deflecting elevation, has passages cut in its top for receiving the strings and deflecting them in the proper way. The lateral extensions, called wings, have holes bored through them for the passage of screws or bolts, by means of which the saddle is fastened to the bridge on both sides of the deflecting elevation.

The novel features and combination of the parts, which will be fully explained hereinafter, are shown in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of a piano showing the manner of supporting the sound board in the case, part of the rear sound board being broken away to more clearly illustrate the box form of said sound board. Fig. 2is an end view of a bridge with a curved top, showing the saddle thereon in its normal form prior to conforming the flexible wings to the top of said bridge. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the form of the saddle after its wings have been forcibly conformed to the convex top of the bridge. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the form of saddle shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is an end view similar to Fig.

2 showing a modification in the manner of attaching the musical strings to the elevated portion of the saddle. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the form of saddle shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a (letail view showing further modifications in the construction of the saddle. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a tensional supportfor the sound board.

The sound board T is of the shape of a shal low box closed on all its sides, which however may have holes cut in them to better transmit the vibrations from the interior to the ambient air. Between the case N and the sound board are placed tensional supports R which for simplicity of construction will be formed substantially as shown in Fig. 8, in which 1 represents a core having lateral projections near each end for the material 3 to be stretched over, thereby leaving a space between said material and the opposing side of the core.

About midway of the ends blocks 4 are placed upon the material which may very properly be fine steel wire. The blocks in the application of the tensional supports are attached to the casing of the piano and to the sound board. The purpose of the tensional supports is to hold the sound board in position while the strings are being drawn up and tuned; further on to secure it against shaking or sidewise swaying without a rigid fastening (ofthe sound board) to the casing. The sound board being thus practically isolated the noise accompanying each blow of a hammer and originated mainly in the case cannot reach the sound board directly, and remains therefore comparatively inaudible, resulting in the almost complete absence of the thumping noise which, especially in the highest notes of ordinary pianos is disagreeably prominent.

hen arranged as shown, tensional supports do not interfere perceptibly with the vibrations of a sound board, and therefore allow these to pass undisturbed from the front to the rear sound board. An increased volume of sound results from the sympathic vibrations of the two sound boards.

In the absence of arigid fastening between case and sound board it has been found expedient to increase the stability of the deflecting device by means of which the sound board is suspended on the musical strings. \Vithout unduly increasing the weight of the device I augment its stability by securingit to the bridge on both sides of the deflecting elevation, using the wings or lateral projections to spread the points of fastening farther apart than are the points of attack in the deflected strings, which, especially when every string of a note is deflected to the same side, tend to twist the said device from its position with multiplied force. To further increase this stability, the usually flat top of the bridge I make more or less rounded in the preferred form of construction, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the saddle being made preferably of steel or of some other metal combining elasticity with a high power of resistance against eithera bending or a breaking strain. \Vhen the fastening devices 0 are screwed home, the wings pressed firmly against the rounded surface of the bridge engage this on both sides of the deflecting elevation, and render a displacement of the deflecting devices in the plane of the strings practically impossible.

Inasmuch as considerable force is exerted to conform the wings A A to the curved top of the bridge, and as the latter is of wood, that portion of the convex top midway between the sides of the bridge is slightly compressed or flattened as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The compressed portion of the bridge being immediately under the deflecting elevation, a direct and very perfect transmission of vibrations results between saddle and bridge, and thereby between string and sound board.

The under side of the saddle is shown straight in its normal form. It may however be normally concave, or it may be convex. By increasing the convexity of the bridge in the first case,or by leaving the top flat in the second, results similar to the above can be obtained, without any additional advantages however.

There being one saddle for each note of the piano, the number of passages cut in the elevated portion for deflecting the strings is regulated bythe number of strings composing the note. If there be two strings they maybe deflected in opposite directions in order to neutralize their efforts toward a lateral displacement of the saddle. \Vhere thereare three strings to a note it is not always possible to balance two of them in this way, on account of the limited space which barely exceeds half an inch from note to note in the general construction of pianos. This space, though sufficient to allow one of three short and thin strings being deflected in opposition to the others, will not admit a similar plan being carried out with long and thick strings without bringing some of them inconveniently near to their neighbors. Therefore all three will be deflected to the same side, or, to avoid the great side strain of heavy steel strings, the elevated portion of the saddle will be constructed as shown in Figs.5 and 6, where the deflecting elevation consists of lugs a between which are placed pins 61/. The strings pass over one pin and beneath the other. This modification in the elevated portion of the saddle admits a greater number of strings to be deflected in an alternately opposite direction. A similar result is obtained by means of holes properly directed and bored in the elevated portion of the saddle. The convenience however in placing and replacing the strings will generally be found a sufficient reason for giving preference to the form of deflecting elevation as first described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano the combination with the case of a sound board approximately box shape and unconnected with the case, and a series of tensional supports interposed between the case and the edges of the soundboard whereby the latter is held in place, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a pianoforte, the combination with a bridge of a saddle comprising an elevated portion having string deflecting passages, and elastic wings projecting from diametrically opposite sides of the said elevated portion and having openings near their outer ends to receive fastenings, by means of which the said saddle is secured to the bridge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a pianoforte the combination with a bridge having a curved top, of a saddle composed of an elevated portion having string deflecting passages, and having lateral extensions or wings which are elastic, and fastening devices to secure said Wings to the bridge and conform the said saddle to the curved surface thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. \VEBER.

WVitnesses:

WM. E. BOON, O. J. BROADDUS. 

